Shoe heel and attachment means therefor



Nov. 29, 1966 J. M. RAKUS SHOE HEEL AND ATTACHMENT MEANS THEREFOR FiledMarch 1, 1965 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,287,833 SHOE HEEL ANDATTACHMENT MEANS THEREFOR Jozef M. Rakus, P.O. Box 1749, Washington,D.C. Filed Mar. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 435,819 Claims. (CI. 36-36) Thisinvention relates toshoes generally, and more particularly to heels forshoes and the attachment structure for securing the same to shoes.

The present invention is specifically directed on an improvement over myprior Patent No. 3,083,478 in the details of the heel securingstructure.

Interchangeable or adjustable heels provided by the prior art have nottaken into account economies of manufacture or adaptation to the myriadsof sizes of shoes for both men and women which are provided by shoeproducers. In other words, such heel assemblies should be economical toproduce with conventional equipment to render production of the productscompetitive with the production of ordinary common heel assemblies nowin use.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improvedmore positive securing structure for detachably mounting a heel memberon a shoe.

A specific object of this invention is to provide a plurality ofreleasably engageable cooperating members by which a shoe heel may besecurely retained on the shoe and yet be quickly detached therefrom.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention resides inthe following specification and appended claims, certain embodiments anddetails of construction being illustrated in the accompanying drawingsin which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the heel assembly comprising theinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the heel base portion of the assemblyof FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view of the resilient wear surface of the heel assembly ofFIGURE 1 separated from the base of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a section view taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 2 with theheads only of the Wear member of FIGURE 3 being illustrated in spacedbut aligned position prior to assembly;

FIGURE 5 is a sectioned view illustrating the members of FIGURES 2 and 3aligned with each other just prior to assembly;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 illustrating the heel members inassembled condition, and

FIGURE 7 is an exploded view of a modified form of this invention;

FIGURE 8 is a view in section of the form of the invention illustratedin FIGURE 7 with the parts in assembled condition;

FIGURE 9 is a detail in plan of the retaining structure for the form ofthe invention shown in FIGURES 7 and 8 illustrating the quick detachableelement in locked position with the cover thereof removed forillustration purposes, and

FIGURE 10 is a view similar to FIGURE 9 but illustrating the elementturned ninety degress to effect disassembly.

With particular reference to the drawings the heel assembly 10 includesa heel base 11 and a resilient heel 12. The base 11 includes a pluralityof generally peripherally arranged pockets 13 as are clearly illustratedin FIGURE 2. The base 11 includes a two part laminate with the uppermember 14 being secured to the shoe sole not shown and the lower member15 being provided with the pockets 13. Each pocket includes an opening16 extending inwardly of the lower surface of member 15. The

, 3,287,833 Patented Nov. Z9, 1956 opening 16 leads into an enlargedinner chamber 17 which opens to the lower surface of the upper member 14of the assembly to thereby define a retaining lip 26 for a purpose to bedescribed. The member 15 is provided with a generally centrally locatedpassage 18 in which is supported a headed, internally threaded retainingnut 19.

The resilient heel member 12 includes a plurality of upwardly extendingretainer studs 20. Each retainer member is imbedded in wear members 21peripherally arranged about the member 12 and spaced so as to align withthe pockets 13 upon assembly. The upper surface 22 of the member 12 isin the nature of a conical depression and a passage 23 is provided atthe apex of such depression. A retaining threaded bolt 24 extendsthrough passage 23.

To assemble the member 12 on the member 11 the flanged heads 25 of theretainers 20 are aligned with pocket openings 16 as shown in FIGURE 5.Pressure is applied to the bolt 24 so as to deform the central area ofthe member 12 upwardly as viewed in FIGURES 5 and 6. The bolt engagesthe nut 19 and may be threaded therein as by means of a coin, or a shoehorn or the like in the manner of a screwdriver. The deformation of themember 12 causes the retainer studs 20 to assume a vertical attitude asshown in FIGURE 6 with the flanged heads 25 engaging over the pocketlips 26 to thereby create a plurality of detachable securing elements.In addition to these elements and the central securing bolt, thedeformation of the upward extending recess 22 will cause an inherentsuction effect against the lower surface of the member 15. Thus themember 12 Will be quite firmly held in engagement with the base assembly11. On the other hand, one need only release the bolt 24 to break thesuction and permit the inherent resiliency of the member 12 to causedisengagement of the stud heads 25 from the lips 17 and thereby removethe member 12 from a shoe to which it is attached.

The present invention is readily adaptable to the form of heel designillustrated in FIGURES 15 and 20 of Patent No. 3,083,478, these beingthe elliptical and circular forms respectively. In the circular formparticularly, the provision of equally spaced peripheral pockets andretainer studs will permit a rotation of the member 12 to a number ofwear positions equal to the number of pockets. In other words, if aportion of the heel edge is worn, the wearer need only take a coin,release the bolt 24, index the member 12 to a new position and reapplythe bolt.

The modified form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 7 through 10includes a heel base 27 with a sole adapter 28 and a resilient wearmember 29. The base 27 is provided with a plurality of pockets 30 of aform similar to pockets 13 of the preferred form of the invention. Thebase 27 is further provided with an inwardly tapered opening 31 toaccommodate and support a snap fastener assembly 32. Assembly 32 ispreferably formed of aluminum and includes a housing 33 having anopening 34 in a bottom wall. The housing 33 includes a cover 35 toretain therein a pair of identical, cooperating spring members 36.

The member 29 is provided with an upper surface which is a conicallyshaped recess 37 from which extends in a vertical direction beforeassembly, a plurality of retaining studs 38 which are equal in numberand spacing to the pockets 30 of member 27. Centrally of member 29 atthe apex of surface 37 there is provided a passage 39 through whichextends a securing bolt 40. The bolt 40 is provided with oppositelydisposed grooves 41 and 42 along the shank thereof.

To assemble the parts of this form of the invention, the member 29 ismoved to a position adjacent member 27 so that retainers 38 align withpockets 30. Pressure is then applied axially of bolt 40 to deform themember 29 upwards into suction producing contact with the lower surfaceof the member 27. The grooves 41 and 42 of bolt 40 become aligned withportions of springs 36 to detachably lock the bolt against retraction.The retainers under the deforming action of member 29 move angularlyoutwardly as is evident in FIGURE 8 to retain the peripheral portions ofmembers 29 in a manner similar to the retaining action of headed studs20 and pockets 13 of the preferred form of the invention. To disassemblethis form of the invention it is merely necessary to rotate the bolt 40ninety degrees as by a coin to spread the spring elements as shown inFIGURE 10, whereby on suction break and due to the inherent resiliencyof member 29 the bolt will be removed from engagement with assembly 32and the retainers 38 will disengage the pockets as they resume avertical attitude as in FIGURE 7.

Other modifications of this invention as to specific shapes and detailsof construction which would be obvious to one skilled in the art aredeemed to be within the general scope of this invention and the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A heel construction for a shoe including a sole which comprises adeformable heel member, said heel member including a recessed uppersurface of substantially conical shape, a heel base secured to the shoesole, said heel base being provided with a plurality of generallyperipherally arranged, spaced pockets with each pocket having aretaining lip spaced from the sole, a generally centrally positionedattachment means carried by the heel base, a plurality of retainerscarried by the heel member in similar spacing relation to said pocketsof the heel base, and a centrally disposed securing means carried by theheel member for engagement with the attachment means, whereby upondeformation of the heel so that the upper conical recess is flattenedagainst the heel base, the retainers enter and engage the retaining lipsof the pockets and a suction is produced and releasably maintained bysaid securing means when engaged with said attachment means.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said retainers comprisestuds with outwardly flanged heads and wherein said pocket lips aredefined by the reduced entrance portion of said pockets to accommodatethe heads of the retainers in locking engagement when the heel member isassembled on the heel base.

3. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the heel member securingmeans is secured to the base by a quick detachable snap fastener.

4. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the heel member iscircular and the pockets and retainers are equally spaced about theperiphery so that the heel member may be rotatably indexed to a numberof positions equal to the number of pockets.

5. The invention according to claim 1 wherein the retainers extendvertically upward from the conical surface prior to assembly and moveinto engagement with the lips of the pockets upon deformation of theheel member during assembly.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,440,404 4/1948Johansson 3636 3,083,478 4/ 1963 Rabus 3636 FOREIGN PATENTS 567,3682/1924 France.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner.

1. A HEEL CONSTRUCTION FOR A SHOE INCLUDING A SOLE WHICH COMPRISES A DEFORMABLE HEEL MEMBER, SAID HEEL MEMBER INCLUDING A RECESSED UPPER SURFACE OF SUBSTANTIALLY CONICAL SHAPE, A HEEL BASE SECURED TO THE SHOE SOLE, SAID HEEL BASE BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF GENERALLY PERIPHERALLY ARRANGED, SPACED POCKETS WITH EACH POCKET HAVING A RETAINING LIP SPACED FROM THE SOLE, A GENERALLY CENTRALLY POSITIONED ATTACHMENT MEANS CARRIED BY THE HEEL BASE, A PLURALITY OF RETAINERS, CARRIED BY THE HEEL MEMBER IN SIMILAR SPACING RELATION TO SAID POCKETS OF THE HEEL BASE, AND A CENTRALLY DISPOSED SECURING MEANS CARRIED BY THE HEEL MEMBER FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ATTACHMENT MEANS, WHEREBY UPON DEFORMATION OF THE HEEL SO THAT THE UPPER CONICAL RECESS IS FLATTENED AGAINST THE HEEL BASE, THE RETAINERS ENTER AND ENGAGE THE RETAINING LIPS OF THE POCKETS AND A SUCTION IS PRODUCED AND RELEASABLY AINTAINED BY SAID SECURING MEANS WHEN ENGAGED WITH SAID ATTACHMENT MEANS. 